This picture was taken off Heritage Asia magazine, back in 2004. The description reads as:
Perak, as in many parts of Malaysia, has a large number of pre-war and colonial shop-houses. Distinctive in their decorative sturdy look with sculpted openings and large columns guarding the shaded five-foot ways, they were the mainstay of retail business then. Somehow, new shop houses lack that character. Quiet towns like Papan still have these old edifices.
So, is this a photo of Papan? Or, could it be another town in Perak….?